China Town in Lagos: Chinese Migration and the Nigerian State Since the 1990s

Abstract

This paper delves into the rise and decline of Lagos’ China Town and its role as a locus of interactions between Chinese migrants and the Nigerian state. I argue that the rise and fall of Chinese private investment in Lagos’ China Town is explained by the Nigerian state’s adjustment to its own entry into the global market. While some Nigerian government officials formed a shared interest of community with Chinese traders via allowing smuggling and grey customs clearance, others frequently raided China Town in the name of protecting local industries. I also argue that Nigerian traders’ and consumers’ perspectives on substandard made-in-China products differed sharply from those of the Nigerian state and manufacturers.